ExeVir Bio: Collaborating and contributing to the fight against the global pandemic

 

As the global Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact daily lives, individuals, organizations and companies, we are continuing to look for ways to reduce the short- and longer-term consequences of the virus. Since the start of the crisis, UCB has strived to take measures to protect our colleagues around the world, stand by patients, help our communities and take part in the global response to the pandemic.

As a biopharmaceutical company, we also have expertise and resources that are essential to fight this pandemic. We are contributing to COVID-19 basic research and treatment development in collaboration with various researchers and governments. We are also working with government agencies and the healthcare community to determine if any of our marketed or investigational therapies could be effectively used to help hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

ExeVir Bio

Recently, through our corporate venture fund UCB Ventures, we announced our participation in the creation of ExeVir Bio, a new spin-out of the VIB Research Institute. This new company is being funded by Belgian partners Fund+, VIB, FPIM (Belgian Federal Holding and Investment Company), V-Bio and Several Belgian Family Offices. Together the partners have joined forces to boost the development of new therapies to combat COVID-19. In particular, ExeVir Bio is focused on harnessing the power of its llama based nanobody (nanobodies are smaller versions of antibodies) technology platform to generate antiviral therapies that aim to protect people against coronaviruses. 

UCB has supported ExeVir Bio by assisting with the generation of the lead candidate, developing the formulation, and initiating the production of the GMP batches for the clinical trials – thereby ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards.

While it is certainly still early days, we are proud and committed to be doing our part in helping this new company make a notable difference in the fight against the global pandemic.